1 Samuel 16

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Yahweh said to Samuel, 'How much longer do you mean to go on mourning over Saul, now that Imyself have rejected him as ruler of Israel? Fil your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse ofBethlehem, for I have found myself a king from among his sons.'	1 And the Lord said to Samuel: “How long will you mourn for Saul, though I have rejected him, so that he would not reign over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and approach, so that I may send you to Jesse of Bethlehem. For I have provided a king from among his sons for myself.”
2 Samuel replied, 'How can I go? When Saul hears of it he wil kill me.' Yahweh then said, 'Take a heiferwith you and say, "I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh."	2 And Samuel said: “How shall I go? For Saul will hear of it, and he will put me to death.” And the Lord said: “You shall take, by your hand, a calf from the herd. And you shall say, ‘I have arrived in order to immolate to the Lord.’
3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I shal reveal to you what you must do; and you wil anoint for me theone I indicate to you.'	3 And you shall call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will reveal to you what you should do. And you shall anoint whomever I will indicate to you.”
4 Samuel did what Yahweh ordered and went to Bethlehem. The elders of the town came trembling tomeet him and asked, 'Seer, is your coming favourable for us,'	4 Therefore, Samuel did just as the Lord told him. And he went to Bethlehem, and the elders of the city wondered. And meeting him, they said, “Is your arrival peaceful?”
5 'Yes,' he replied. 'I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh. Purify yourselves and come with me to thesacrifice.' He purified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.	5 And he said: “It is peaceful. I have arrived in order to immolate to the Lord. Be sanctified, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and he called them to the sacrifice.
6 When they arrived, he looked at Eliab and thought, 'This must be Yahweh's anointed now before him,'	6 And when they had entered, he saw Eliab, and he said, “Could he be the Christ in the sight of the Lord?”
7 but Yahweh said to Samuel, 'Take no notice of his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him;God does not see as human beings see; they look at appearances but Yahweh looks at the heart.'	7 And the Lord said to Samuel: “You should not look with favor on his face, nor on the height of his stature. For I have rejected him. Neither do I judge by the appearance of a man. For man sees those things that are apparent, but the Lord beholds the heart.”
8 Jesse then cal ed Abinadab and presented him to Samuel, who said, 'Yahweh has not chosen this oneeither.'	8 And Jesse called Abinadab, and he brought him before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.”
9 Jesse then presented Shammah, but Samuel said, 'Yahweh has not chosen this one either.'	9 Then Jesse brought Shammah. And he said about him, “And the Lord has not chosen this one.”
10 Jesse thus presented seven of his sons to Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, 'Yahweh has notchosen these.'	10 And so Jesse brought his seven sons before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.”
11 He then asked Jesse, 'Are these al the sons you have?' Jesse replied, 'There is stil one left, theyoungest; he is looking after the sheep.' Samuel then said to Jesse, 'Send for him, for we shal not sit down toeat until he arrives.'	11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Could the sons now be completed?” But he responded, “There still remains a little one, and he pastures the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse: “Send and bring him. For we shall not recline to eat, until he arrives here.”
12 Jesse had him sent for; he had ruddy cheeks, with fine eyes and an attractive appearance. Yahwehsaid, 'Get up and anoint him: he is the one!'	12 Therefore, he sent and brought him. Now he was ruddy, and beautiful to behold, and with a stately face. And the Lord said, “Rise up, anoint him! For it is he.”
13 At this, Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him, surrounded by his brothers; and the spirit ofYahweh seized on David from that day onwards. Samuel, for his part, set off and went to Ramah.	13 Therefore, Samuel took the horn of oil, and he anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord was guiding David from that day and thereafter. And Samuel rose up, and he went away to Ramah.
14 Now the spirit of Yahweh had withdrawn from Saul, and an evil spirit from Yahweh afflicted him withterrors.	14 But the Spirit of the Lord withdrew from Saul, and a wicked spirit from the Lord disturbed him.
15 Saul's servants said to him, 'An evil spirit from God is undoubtedly the cause of your terrors.	15 And the servants of Saul said to him: “Behold, an evil spirit from God disturbs you.
16 Let our lord give the order, and your servants who wait on you wil look for a skilled harpist; when theevil spirit from God comes over you, he wil play and it wil do you good.'	16 May our lord order, and your servants, who are before you, will seek a man skillful in playing a stringed instrument, so that when the evil spirit from the Lord assails you, he may play with his hand, and you may bear it more easily.”
17 Saul said to his attendants, 'Find me, please, a man who plays wel , and bring him to me.'	17 And Saul said to his servants, “Then provide for me someone who can play well, and bring him to me.”
18 One of the servants then spoke up and said, 'I have seen one of the sons of Jesse the Bethlehemite:he is a skil ed player, a brave man and a fighter, well spoken, good-looking and Yahweh is with him.'	18 And one of the servants, responding, said: “Behold, I have seen the son of Jesse of Bethlehem, a skillful player, and very strong and robust, a man fit for war, and prudent in words, a handsome man. And the Lord is with him.”
19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse with the order, 'Send me your son David (who is with the sheep).'	19 Therefore, Saul sent messengers to Jesse, saying, “Send to me your son David, who is in the pastures.”
20 Jesse took five loaves, a skin of wine and a kid, and sent them to Saul by his son David.	20 And so, Jesse took a donkey laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid from one of the goats, and he sent them, by the hand of his son David, to Saul.
21 David went to Saul and entered his service; Saul became very fond of him and David became hisarmour-bearer.	21 And David went to Saul, and stood before him. And he loved him exceedingly, and he made him his armor bearer.
22 Saul then sent a message to Jesse, 'Let David stay in my service, since he has won my favour.'	22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying: “Let David remain before my sight. For he has found favor in my eyes.”
23 And whenever the spirit from God came over Saul, David would take a harp and play; Saul wouldthen be soothed; it would do him good, and the evil spirit would leave him.	23 And so, whenever the evil spirit from the Lord assailed Saul, David took up his stringed instrument, and he struck it with his hand, and Saul was refreshed and uplifted. For the evil spirit withdrew from him.